1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a modular system for producing motor vehicles having at least two vehicle variants. The invention also relates to a process for producing motor vehicles having at least two vehicle variants.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicle variants can differ from one another, for example, through different space requirements in an accessories compartment. For example, it is possible to arrange independent wheel suspensions for steerable and nonsteerable vehicle wheels in such an accessories compartment. A steering linkage for a steerable wheel and, if appropriate, a power-assisted steering mechanism also may be accommodated in the accessories compartment. A vehicle battery also may be accommodated in the accessories compartment. Still further, a gear unit, such as a differential gear unit for a front-wheel drive may be accommodated in such an accessories compartment. Some vehicles which are offered in a first variant with a two-wheel drive and in a second variant with a four-wheel drive. In this situation, a gear unit for splitting drive power to the wheels of the additional drive axle may be accommodated in the accessories compartment for the four-wheel variant. This additional gear unit then is not required in the two-wheel variant. The accessories compartment in specific motor vehicles can be separated from a luggage compartment by a partition wall. This is particularly the case with rear-engine vehicles in which the luggage compartment and the accessories compartment are accommodated in a forward structure of the vehicle body.
DE 102 21 950 A1 discloses a motor vehicle with a bulkhead module. The bulkhead usually separates an engine compartment from a vehicle passenger compartment. The bulkhead module of DE 102 21 950 A1 is designed so that it can contain functional units, such as, for example, a fan for ventilating the passenger compartment, or the like. The module comprises a yoke beam that is fastened to two longitudinal members of a vehicle body.
The invention was made in view of the above-described problem, and it is an object of the invention to produce vehicles in a way that makes it possible for vehicle types that differ from one another through different space requirements in the accessories compartment to be produced as inexpensively as possible.